The best handlers don't just train dogs.
They understand them.
Every handler wants a dog they can trust: in the yard, in the field, and at the line. But the gap between the work you're putting in and the results you're seeing keeps growing. It doesn't have to stay that way.
Pat Burns has spent nearly 50 years closing that gap. He learned from Rex Carr, the father of modern retriever training, and refined his approach under Mike Lardy, the most decorated field trial trainer in the sport.
With more than 100 Field Trial Champions to his name, Pat learned that the best training results don't come from simply commanding your retriever. They come from understanding the dog in front of you. That philosophy holds whether you're running hunt tests, field trials, or SRS, or simply want a better dog in the blind. The principles are built on the dog in front of you, not the venue you're headed to.
100+
Field Trial Champions Trained
5
National Championship Dogs Trained
50
Years in
the Sport
Build a sturdy bond to the line and beyond.
Train with conviction.
Stop second-guessing yourself in the field and start making decisions that feel grounded, because they are.
Read your dog on a deeper level.
Pick up on the subtle things your retriever is already telling you, so you know exactly when to wait and when to step in.
Become a better leader.
Grow into the steady, understanding handler your dog can trust completely, and keep reaping the benefits for years. And ultimately…
Build a sturdy bond.
Develop the kind of mutual trust that doesn't just feel good… it makes your dog choose you every time.
CHOOSE YOUR TRAINING PATH
Training that meets you where you are
Whether you're running field trials, hunt tests, SRS, or you just want a better dog in the blind, the principles are the same, because they're built on the retriever in front of you rather than the venue you're headed to.
02
01
03
04
START
Build the Foundation
DEVELOP
Train with Ongoing Support
REFINE
Solve Specific Challenges
ADVANCE
Work Directly with Pat
★ You can start at any training option. Your path can change as you and your dog do. ★
What handlers are saying
"Pat's ability to make his points understood and clear is an ability that is unique to him. To prove that point, we quote him all the time."
John and Martha Russell
2003 & 2014 National Amateur Champions
"I first attended a workshop as a rank beginner. Five years later, I find myself reaping the benefits of Pat's commitment to always push me to become a better leader for my dogs."
Betsy Broyd
Field Trial Handler
"The opportunity to have an influential person who can instinctively 'read a dog' as Pat can is an advantageous tool for anyone. Since training with Pat, my dog Ellie has earned an Open 2nd & 3rd and Amateur 2nd."
Stacy Rick
Field Trial Competitor
"Pat has given me the confidence to know that when my dog and I are at a test, we will be able to compete at the highest level. We've qualified and passed numerous Master Nationals and Amateur Master Nationals, as well as the Canadian National Master."
John Dawber
Hunt Test Handler
Credentials & Partnerships
Pat works alongside the brands and championships that have shaped this sport. He has served as a commentator for the National Retriever Championship, the National Amateur Retriever Championship, the National Derby Championship, and the Super Retriever Series.
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